The 14th Lok Sabha on Wednesday began its first session with the Congress-led alliance occupying treasury benches after a gap of over eight years.

Leader of the House and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Leader of the Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani, former prime minister and opposition National Democratic Alliance chairman Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi were among the first to take oath as members.

Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Somnath Chatterjee, who was this morning sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker by President A P J Abdul Kalam, chaired the proceedings.

Chatterjee, who is all set to be elected as the speaker on Friday, urged members to maintain high traditions of the House and strengthen parliamentary democracy.
 
Before announcing the panel to conduct the oath of affirmation to members, Chatterjee congratulated them on their election to the Lok Sabha.  The panel comprises Balasheb Vikhe-Patil, Girdhar Gamang and Manbendra Shah.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh greeted Vajpayee, Advani and leaders of various parties as he entered the
House. Dr Singh is a Rajya Sabha member.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, both cabinet ministers, occupied the front row of treasury benches.

Mukherjee occupied the seat next to that of the prime minister, while Gandhi sat in the first row of treasury benches with senior party member A B A Ghani Khan Choudhary by her side.

Advani occupied the seat of the leader of the opposition with former prime minister Vajpayee sitting next to him
in the front row of opposition benches.

President A P J Abdul Kalam will address a joint sitting of Parliament on June 7.

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance will get a chance to prove its majority in the Lok Sabha when the motion of thanks to the President's address is put to vote on June 10.